Hello from Maybelle Farm on Wednesday evening Feb. 20th. It's a very cold, windy day and we got just a dusting of snow. I just watched the weather and here comes another snow storm this weekend! I would be oh so happy to have this be the last snow storm of the season, but know that is just wishful thinking. I am now in just survival mode! I just want winter to be over and some nice green grass for my sheep. I am going to skirt some fleeces with Darcy tomorrow and on Friday take a load of gray raw fleeces to Battenkill Fiber Mill in Greenwich, NY to have it made into yarn. They are working on my order now and will be making beautiful white yarn from Willow, Lola, Arly and Siobhan. It's going to be a nice sunny day on Friday so I can drive to Greenwich,N.Y. and leave the wool and maybe go out to lunch. I'm not sure who will be going with me but it will be a short trip because of the dogs. Jonathan is working, Darcy's family is away and so I need to get back by mid-afternoon.

Darcy went to the barn with me tonight to try to video Onora and her rodeo dance. She is just a clown and I love her so much. I'm sure she doesn't know she is a little sheep, follows me around and is into everything. She doesn't think she should be with the other sheep and would rather stay with me and play. My neighbor stopped to visit tonight when I was coming back from the barn and wanted to know about my old Marcus. Marcus is a Coopworth/Finn/Dorset cross that I got as a bottle baby in 1999. We had him wethered and he was always with Blake (my handsome old ram). Marcus is very lonely without Blake but is doing O.K. Come spring I plan to put him with possibly Omega, my Tunis cross and Opal, my Borderleicester/Cormo/Romney cross. They are two very mellow little girls and I think they would get along with Marcus. Tally will be 16 yrs. old in April, her daughter Willow will be 14 yrs. old, Matylda will be 15 yrs. old. Quite a few of my flock are very old girls............

Tomorrow night I'm teaching a needlefelting class for a good friend that also has Shetland sheep. It is always such fun for me to teach someone how to needlefelt. I dyed some wool with tea today because I use this color for making faces. I have made quite a few needlefelted sheep, a couple of felted hats and some knitted hats. They are all listed on my Etsy shop. Well I guess I need to stop now and go fix dinner. Its a great night to curl up by my soapstone stove and read a good book. Goodnight from Maybelle MaMa.

Hello from Maybelle Farm on Sunday evening Feb. 10th. Wow, that was quite a snowstorm on Friday night and Saturday morning. We ended up with about 16-18 inches of snow and I think we were really lucky and didn't get as much as our southern neighbors! The wind was really wild yesterday but today was a beautiful sunny day with such a pretty blue sky. I took a picture of Declan, Rowan and Kara in the tunnels they built out of the huge pile of snow. The sheep were more than happy to stay in the barn, their sheds and just peek out at the storm.

Today Darcy and Todd went to Guilford to help unload 150 bales of hay. They brought 20 bales home and will get the rest as we can. There is nothing that can make this old farm girl so happy as hay in the barn. I always feel so relieved to know I have hay to feed the sheep. This is 2nd cut and the sheep are just beyond happy with this delicious stuff. I think I could eat it with a little vinegar and salt... just a little dry spinach type vegetable!

This is a short blog tonight as there really isn't much to report, only that the storm was kind to our area. I feel so sorry for all the people that are without power, heat and can't get their vehicles out of the snow. I will be so very glad when spring arrives.

Hello from Maybelle Farm. We are in the middle of another really cold snap here in Vermont and I just don't want to go outside! A few weeks ago it was 17 below zero in the morning and the windchill was about 20-30 below zero at Mt. Snow. Who would want to ski when the windchill is that cold? I am feeding the sheep 2nd cut hay right now and a little grain/cracked corn to help thru the cold. I shut the big barn door at night and I'm sure they are all glad to be in the barn.

I have been working on some needle felted sheep and I'm knitting a couple of hats. I have brushed my dog Lettie, a Japanese Akita, to use some of her hair in a project. I'm going to blend her dog hair with some Shetland wool and spin it. I will then knit myself a "Lettie Akita" hat. She is 11 1/2 years old and having trouble getting around now. This cold weather is really tough on her too, but the Vet gave her some medicine that has helped.

This is a short blog because I am basically just doing the chores and staying inside as much as possible. I'm going to package up some roving for a friend tomorrow and hopefully next week I can get some fiber to the BattenKill Fiber Mill. So-long from Maybelle MaMa.